Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-06
MARAT's BATHrUB.
The Modest Rig i'm which He Re-
ceived Charlotte Coxday.

The Modest Rig I'm which He Re.
ceived Charlotte Coxday.
The Musee Grsvin, on the Boulevard
des Italiens, is q cross between the Eden
Musee of New York and the renowned
"wax figures of Mime. Tussaud of Lon
don, without the eminent responsibility
of the one or the historic interest of the
other. It 10 chiefly afflicted with the
disease which memorahly recalls the
salon Of lS85-an efiorescence of cory
phees; and when it placards at the door
the appetizing announcement that the
visitor will find something from Zola,
which even the liberal jury of 1885
would not admit to the Palais de Pin
dustry, all Paris wants to 60 in.
It 10 proper to protest that no such
scandalous invitation turned my steps
across its threshold this morning; for,
having seen the collection of last year at
the spring exhibition, felt that not only
the Musee Grevin, but that other mu.
seums in which Naples preserves the
wickedness of the buried cities could
hardly surprise me. l really wished to
see the last addition-the bathtub--the
identical bathtub, in which Marat was
murdered by the Judith of that tragic
summers day, ninety. three years ago;
and this chiefly because, to me as to
every one else, 1t has always been .
mystery how even . Frenchman-evena q
Frenchman of the days Of Thermidor,
Ventore and the rest-even the demon
of the triumvirs, should have been 90
lost to decency as to cause . young
Il .ssk xrxsuhal ~
to be summoned to his bathroom.
Having done two or three rooms
whose most conspicuous objects were a
number of waxen damsels in Paradisaic
costume, pointing their dexter toes
toward high noon, descended into the
crypt, all devoid of the blood. curdling
horrors Of the Twenty third street es.
tablishment, but containing in one well.
lighted chamber the Assassination Of
Marat." On the wall near by 10 the
evidence of the authenticity Of the bath
tub, together with some manuscript Of
of Marat's. written just before his death.
The scene is very effectively rendered,
the position and appearance Of Marat
being copied from David's wonderful
picture. But the tub was what inter-
ested me; first, because it is the veritable
tub, and, secondly, because it explains
the mystery. This is how it looks: 1t is
shaped exactly like shoe; is much too
short for one to he in at full length, and
with seat inside, as was often found in
the bathtubs of those days. Marat
might very we'll have been, as the local
cbronicler tells us that he was, correct.
ing his proofs when Charlotte Corday
entered. The contemporary records add
that he was on chemise, and that his
friends. anticipating tome Q! our loyal
politicians, whooped up the boys by .
liberal display of Marat's "bloody shirt"
ON the day of the funeral.
The Directors of the Musee Grevin
gave, it is said, 5000 francs for the tub.
Happily they can make their money out
of it without fear of summons to the
Conciergerie. But it was not always so,
for shortly after Marat's death . too
enterprising Mrs. farley of the year II
in the month Thermidor had her head
chopped off for the crime of exhibiting
wax effigy of Charlotte Corday y.-Paris
Letter in New York Sun.